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Home > First Year > Postpartum Depression May Depend on Where New Moms Live (STUDY)

Summary: A new study looked at the relevance of location to postpartum depression and found that the prevalence of the condition was higher among women living in urban areas than among those living in rural, semi-rural, or semi-urban areas. The study highlights the need to better target supports and services towards women based on their geographic location to improve their outcomes and reduce their risk of PPD.

By Carolyn Buchanan | Posted: August 7, 2013

Location, location, location. It's everything to real estate buyers and sellers. But what about new moms? What effect does place of residence have on the likelihood that a new mother will experience postpartum depression (PPD)? Canadian researchers were interested in finding out. Their results, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal report that the more urban the environment, the greater the risk of the condition.

PPD occurs in 10 to 20 percent of new mothers. While the "baby blues" are even more common, these symptoms — which include irritability, insomnia, exhaustion, and anxiety — usually subside within a month following birth. PPD symptoms can linger for up to a year and can make caring for a newborn particularly challenging.

Hormone fluctuations, diet, family history, and other factors have been thought to contribute to the cause of PPD in women. Furthermore, an intact support structure to share the baby care has been identified as mission critical and may even help explain these new findings.

The study included data on over 6,000 mothers. The researchers sorted information according to location densities and found that more than 9 percent of women living in urban areas (population of 500,000 or more) had PPD five to 14 months after giving birth compared to only 6 to 7 percent of women in rural (less than 1,000), semi-rural (less than 30,000), and semi-urban (30,000 to 499,999) areas.

In the large urban areas, women were also more likely to be non-Canadian born and reported having little or no social support during or after pregnancy.

"Living in an urban area is a marker of more stress, less support, and a potentially higher risk of PPD for women," said Dr. Simone Vigod, study lead and psychiatrist at Women's College Hospital. "Our study suggests we need to better target our supports and services towards women based on their geographic location to improve their outcomes and reduce their risk of PPD."

Because the feeling of isolation is a risk factor for new moms wherever they may reside, finding new mom groups can be helpful to all. The playground, pediatrician's office, the library, even the supermarket can be good spots for seeking out other new moms. And of course, you can find new mom support groups on the Internet (including here on WTE). It's easy to join up, or start a new one, if that's your fancy! The most important thing to remember is that you're never alone.